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Create a Website Account - Manage notification subscriptions, save form progress and more.
Most fire-safe decorations are allowed; for safety questions contact the Fire Marshal at 361-485-3460 or our offices at 361-485-3215.
Decorations may not be attached to any surface with tape, tacks or by any means that will damage walls or floors. Please visit the Community Center Rules and Regulations page for prohibited items.
Show All Answers
Reservations may be made by the public up to 12 months in advance. These reservations are accepted via telephone at 361-485-3215, after midnight, on the first day of each month. All phone reservations are date and time stamped and processed on a first come-first served basis.
Reservations may still be made in the Business Office but these are considered secondary to online and phone requests.
A 25% non-refundable down payment is due when the rental contract is signed.
Deposits are included in the rental fee total and help cover items such as cleaning, damage, or any items needed during events which are not included on the contract but for which there is a usage fee.
Deposit refunds are processed and refunded within 10 to 30 business days after event date.
All rental fee balances are due 60 days prior to the event. Personal checks are accepted until the 60-day deadline.
Payments after 60 days can be made by credit card (Visa, Master Card and Discover accepted), money order, or cash, and are subject to late fees and cancellation.
Our staff is happy to accommodate walk-in visitors whenever possible, however it is best to call ahead at 361-485-3215 to determine availability of the space you are interested in touring, due to busy reservation schedules.
If the facility is in use by another customer, undergoing cleaning, or being renovated, it may not be available for viewing.
A rental day is from 8 am until midnight.
Additional fees may be charged for time used by customer for cleaning after midnight.
Rental entitles the lessee to:
Operations staff is also on duty during your event. Tables and chairs are available for an additional fee (setup is included in rental of tables and chairs).
Kitchens include usage of:
Please note that dumping food, grease, or other solid products into sinks or drains will result in the loss of a portion of your deposit refund.
Early entry may be purchased for up to 3 hours before, at an hourly rate, before 8 am, or you may choose to rent the day prior to your event at half of the regular rental rate.
A half price day can be used for event setup only between the hours of 8 am and 8 pm.
Operations staff are on duty during all events. They are on hand to:
Staff is in charge of clearing the building of patrons and securing the property post-event.
The Community Center has limited storage available. A storage fee would apply to rental items brought in before the event or set up day or left behind after an event.
For storage size limitations, contact the Business Office at 361-485-3215.
Alcohol usage is at the discretion of the lessee and can be on a 'bring your own bottle' or concession sale basis.
Cans and plastic cups are preferred; no glass is allowed.
The sale of alcohol requires a temporary permit from the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC). All TABC regulations apply.
Security hired through the Victoria Police Department is required as well.
Persons wanting information on obtaining off-duty police officers for security work may contact the Chief's Administrative Assistant at 361-485-3714 regarding off-duty work.
There are some jobs or events that our officers are not allowed to work. The number of officers required may also change based on the type of event, location of event, or the number of guests expected.
Yes. All events held at the Victoria Community Center must contact the Fire Marshal's office at 361-485-3460 a minimum of 14 days prior to the event. The Fire Marshal will discuss:
Cleaning must be completed and all items removed from the building by midnight.
We ask you leave the facilities/grounds as you found them to avoid additional charges for excessive cleaning required by Community Center staff.


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100+ plays
In Spectromancer, an online fantasy card game, players participate in a magical duel against other mages by strategically summoning creatures and casting spells. Each mage uses five magical elements during a duel - Fire, Water, Air and Earth, plus a fifth related to the specific mage type. Players are able to duel against the computer or against other online players live. It features: - 3 new magical classes: Goblin Chieftain, Mad Hermit and Chronomancer - editable decks - draft tournaments - ability to observe duels in the online league - many fixes and improvements

subset: commoncrawl


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Almost time for the greatest show on dirt!
Can't hardly believe in 5 weeks my show at Texas Rose opens!
I am so excited! I've been getting things ready for the show.
This is the third show that I will be setting up at Texas Rose, BUT this time I will be inside the building on the lower end to the left! I can't wait to play with my new space!
Make sure you come be and see me there!


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I texted my sister-in-law last week to let her know I was available for afternoon school pick up. Her reply: a question mark.
You see, my-sister-in-law and my next door neighbor have the same name and apparently I texted too soon before confirming I had the right person. I didn't have the right person.
Last month, I texted an old friend, and by "old" I mean that I haven't spoken to her in over three years. I sent her a cheery "LOL- OMG I have something to tell you." Curious, she replied "what?" When her name appeared back on my phone, I realized what I had done. I texted the wrong person. I had absolutely nothing to tell her because I didn't intend to text her. And now I was forced to awkwardly ask how she and her family were doing.
In my circle of friends, this rarely happens to me, as I am the only SHIVAUN in the bunch.
And that's a shame, really, because I would love to receive a text not intended for me, just once.
Oh how I would love to read something intended for someone else. A secret, unintended note sitting in my inbox would be a heavenly gift. Not because I am nosy but because I am a writer.
I am not alone in this, I'm sure.
Last summer, I borrowed a friend's smartphone while awaiting my upgrade. Before returning the phone to my friend, she instructed me on how to delete the history and return to factory settings before returning it as she totally planned to read every text and email left in there, lol. (PS: I know she wasn't kidding and I thanked her for her honesty.)
I would have done the same thing.
Wouldn't you?
Shivaun Williams is a Bucks County, PA writer and mom of 3. Check out her blog at Dar Liomsa (In My Opinion).


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FORT LAUDERDALE — Home buyers have had the advantage for six years, especially in hard-hit real estate markets. But now sellers are enjoying a resurgence. • Some buyers don't realize or can't accept that the market has changed, real estate agents and analysts say. • "People come in, and they think the market is 2008 or 2009, when sellers were desperate," said Jennifer Sommers, an agent with Nestler Poletto Sotheby's International Realty in Boca Raton "They're not desperate. Not at all." • As a result, some buyers aren't getting the homes they want. Here are five common errors that agents and experts say buyers are making. Paul Owers, Sun Sentinel
Sticking with LOWBALL OFFERS
Ridiculously low offers were the norm during the housing bust, but buyers can't get away with them anymore, agents say.
Stephanie Chen is closing next month on her Weston home after previously rejecting an offer for $400,000 less than her $1.1 million asking price.
"The mistake some buyers make is going so low it's not even reasonable," said Chen, 32. "We just walked away from the table."
Buyers and sellers have different definitions of a lowball offer, said Randy Bianchi, co-owner of Paradise Properties of Florida in West Palm Beach. Sellers think they've been lowballed on offers less than 90 percent of their asking prices, while some buyers say bids of 80 to 85 percent of the list price are reasonable, Bianchi said.
Jackie Smith, an agent in Broward and Palm Beach counties, said a client recently went against her advice and offered $55,000 less than the $194,000 asking price on a two-bedroom waterfront condominium. The bid was rejected.
"Right off the bat, buyers say, 'I want a steal,' and I tell them they have to wipe that word out of their vocabulary," Smith said.
Taking too long to "SLEEP ON IT"
Agents who tell buyers not to dillydally often are accused of being self-serving. But with so few houses available for sale, agents say buyers don't understand how the market has changed.
According to the National Association of Realtors, the number of homes listed for sale has fallen by more than one-third since the peak in July 2007.
Inventories will swell as more bank-owned homes hit the market in the months ahead, experts say. For now, though, new listings are coveted by house hunters frustrated by the lack of choices.
Not all homes sell quickly, because some sellers are asking for higher than market value. But properties priced appropriately in desirable neighborhoods tend to go under contract within days or weeks — or sometimes hours.
A home in Jupiter that was listed at 7:30 a.m. had eight requests for showings by 10:30 and a contract by noon, agent Susan Bennett said.
Her client, Eric Wagnon, missed out on that property but found a three-bedroom home nearby. Not wanting to be outbid, he offered the full asking price: $330,000.
"For the right home that's priced right, you don't want to mess around or you'll end up without the house you want," said Wagnon, 42, a television producer.
Littering the contract with CONTINGENCIES
The standard real estate contract includes stipulations, such as the buyer qualifying for a mortgage.
But some buyers also insist on unnecessarily long inspection periods — 30 days instead of 10, for instance. Or they want the sale to be contingent on a family member touring the property.
"That's ridiculous," said Mike Pappas, president of the Keyes Co. "You have to have a clean contract."
Failing to make A PERSONAL IMPRESSION on the seller
With some homes getting two or more bids, it's not enough to offer a competitive price. Owners will look at other factors to decide which offer to take.
"It's not just about the money," said Jim Heidisch, a broker in Pompano Beach.
For example, a seller looking at two $600,000 offers on a Parkland Isles home took the one in which the buyer agreed to pay cash and allowed the seller to take the washer and dryer, said Michael Citron, the listing agent.
Take the time to meet the seller's agent. Strike up a conversation. Ultimately, it's the seller's call on which offer to select, but the listing agent will have input, and it doesn't hurt if the agent likes the potential buyer.
Also, consider submitting a personal letter with the contract, describing features you like about the home and why buying it is important to you.
"It warms the seller up," Citron said. "It shows you're not just a number."
NOT GETTING PREAPPROVED for a mortgage before starting the search
During the boom years, buyers didn't worry about arranging their financing up front because mortgages were easy to get. Not so anymore.
Getting preapproved for a loan can take two weeks or longer because banks have tightened underwriting standards in the wake of the housing bust, mortgage brokers say.
A head start is now essential in some markets. Some sellers even require buyers to be preapproved before making an offer, Bennett said.
A preapproved buyer has submitted pay stubs, bank statements and other paperwork and received a commitment for a specific mortgage amount from a lender. "Buyers can really jeopardize their transactions if they don't do the work up front," Bianchi said.


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A new band, from Canada, who've made one of the best (mini-)albums of the year, chat to DiS about lemonade, dog people, comparisons and more...
When we say best albums of the year, don't think we're just tossing off superlatives. No, no, no. Braids' debut album Native Speaker swishes like Blonde Redhead and swooshes like No Age coming down in Foals' dressing room. DiS sent some questions to Katie from the band via email ahead of their UK tour, to find out more...
DiS: Your album Native Speaker starts with a song called 'Lemonade' (hit play on the above artwork if you haven't heard it) is that sample actually lemonade being swished around?
Interesting you say that, because the other day I was thinking to myself how musical the world is. That every sound has a melodic and rhythmic structure to it, like for example the amount of 'music' you could make in the bathroom is enormous - from when you sit on the toilet to when you wash your hands. There is an endless amounts of inspiration to be found, so I don't understand this whole writer's block that many of my friends keep on talking about. So to answer your question, yes, Lemonade is a sample of lemonade being swished around.
What's your favourite lemonade or do you prefer to make it homemade?
Our favorite lemonade is pink lemonade. Limeade is pretty good too. We used to make Lemonade at our old job and they were never homemade - always from the can. But you can never go wrong with those frozen lemonade cans. They are too good. My mother used to feed me from the can so I don't really know what homemade lemonade tastes like. Probably bitter.
Your album cover (which is above) looks a little like corrugated clouds, were you trying to represent a synthesis between organic and man-made textures? Or is it a homage to something like a rare Metallica 7"?
That is really flattering that you can think of it as a homage to something Metallica could have made. I think Metallica would say the album cover represents the unity of what is organic with what is processed; the use of tools to create and provoke emotions. If you really want to know the secret behind the album cover, take one of those fluorescent light coverings and put it over your face.
Which comparison is getting more grating, Animal Collective or Joanna Newsom? Or do you find both flattering?
Both are grate. I have seen both and they really can shred. But there are so many OTHER bands we sound like. I wish people could bring those bands up more.
Your album has a lithe, kitten-ish feel, are any of the band Dog people? (This Q probably makes less sense if you haven't read Burrough's brilliant The Cat Inside)
Kittens? Dogs? Sure. You're right, this question is strange, but I'm sure I would understand the wit had I read William Burrough's book - which looks really wonderful by the way. I wonder if he ever consumed the parasite that live in feline feces (Toxoplasmosis).
Your album has a slight mathiness to the guitars (do you agree?) as well as a gorgeous blissed out ambient feel, what ends up on the tour bus stereo?
Cool. I know that Katie is really into Math but she plays the keyboards. Do you think Steve Reich was ever into math? I wonder about this all the time. On this tour we have been listening to a lot of Pantha Du Prince, Moderat, Autechre, Dr. Dre, Feel Alright, Fever Ray, Future Islands, Gonzalez, and Women.
'Lammicken' is a neologism of which two words? Is it foodie reference to Turducken? (you've totally PWNed google with that one, I thought it was a character from Bowie's Labyrinth)
It is neither of any. Check out this quote: "He'll adorn it better than a poor lammicken feller like myself can." - Tess of the dUrbervilles
Why are all bands from Canada so much more awesome than anywhere else?
Maybe because of our food. The maple leaf is pretty awesome. I used to say 'more awesome' all the time until the rest of the band consistently made fun of me on tour, it's nice to hear someone else say it. I'm going to bring it back into my speech.
What are you looking forward to seeing or doing on your upcoming UK dates?
All of us have a problem of picking up accents. So we are all really excited to add the various British accents to our array of other accents. Also really excited for the weather. I really like the climate in the UK. I want to walk around and pretend I live there.
Any closing remarks?
All interviews should be like this.
Native Speaker is out now via Kanine Records. Catch the band live in the coming weeks with Antlers in London, Of Montreal in Paris, on the Drowned in Sound Stage at SoundCity in Liverpool, at Dot to Dot and Great Escape Festival, or somewhere else. Full list of dates on their MySpace.


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We are honoring two occasions today-Smiling Sally's Blue Monday and the 4th of July. It would have been nice if we could have had a good report from Sally. We have to assume no news, is good news.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Blue Monday
Posted by LV at 11:22 PM
Labels: Blue Monday
16 comments:
- Barbara F. said...
Happy Fourth of July to you, too, LV! Enjoy. xo
- July 3, 2011 at 11:23 PM
- Susan Freeman said...
Happy 4th LV. I am remembering Sally in my prayers.
Susan and Bentley - July 4, 2011 at 12:36 AM
- Anonymous said...
I hope that you enjoy your 4th of July holiday.
I just found your blog today, and it looks just lovely! :) - July 4, 2011 at 1:12 AM
- Anonymous said...
Happy 4th dear LV and nice week!
- July 4, 2011 at 1:52 AM
- Debbie-Dabble Blog and A Debbie-Dabble Christmas said...
Have 4th of July to you!!
I hope you are spending it with family??
Debbie - July 4, 2011 at 2:56 AM
- Crystal said...
I hope you have a wonderful 4th!!!!
- July 4, 2011 at 7:19 AM
- Beverly said...
Happy Fourth of July, dear friend. I hope you have a great day with family and friends.
I am glad we got some hopeful news about Sally. - July 4, 2011 at 9:46 AM
- Betty said...
Have a good 4th!
- July 4, 2011 at 9:52 AM
- Lee said...
Love the mouse!
Have a TeRrFiC day! - July 4, 2011 at 10:01 AM
- George said...
Happy Fourth of July. I really like your chipmunk Uncle Sam.
- July 4, 2011 at 10:12 AM
- La said...
Happy Independence Day! I hope you are having a wonderful holiday.
- July 4, 2011 at 12:46 PM
- Betsy Banks Adams said...
Happy Independence Day to you, Lavoice.... Great pictures!!!
Betsy - July 4, 2011 at 2:50 PM
- Annesphamily said...
Happy Independence Day to you sweet friend! I like the images you chose and the story you told here. Enjoy your day! Anne
- July 4, 2011 at 3:24 PM
- Oklahoma Granny said...
Happy 4th of July to you!
- July 4, 2011 at 4:18 PM
- Dena E's Blog said...
Hi Sweetie!!!! Its been a long time since blogging for me... I've been helping at a womens praise and prayer group on facebook for a while now... It was soooo nice to see your note...THANKS...
Prayers and Hugssss Dena - July 4, 2011 at 9:28 PM
- Stephanie @ La Dolce Vita said...
Hope you had a wonderful 4th! and that, as you said, no news is good news!
- July 5, 2011 at 2:24 PM


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Anatol Rapoport
Anatol Rapoport (May 22, 1911 – January 20, 2007) was a Russian-born American Jewish mathematical psychologist. He was one of the founders of the general systems theory. He also contributed to mathematical biology and to the mathematical modeling of social interaction and stochastic models of contagion.
Quotes edit
1940s edit
- The behavior of two individuals, consisting of effort which results in output, is considered to be determined by a satisfaction function which depends on remuneration (receiving part of the output) and on the effort expended. The total output of the two individuals is not additive, that is, together they produce in general more than separately. Each individual behaves in a way which he considers will maximize his satisfaction function. Conditions are deduced for a certain relative equilibrium and for the stability of this equilibrium, i.e., conditions under which it will not "pay" the individual to decrease his efforts. In the absence of such conditions "exploitation" occurs which may or may not lead to total parasitism.
- Anatol Rapoport. "Mathematical theory of motivation interactions of two individuals," The Bulletin of Mathematical Biophysics(1947) 9: 17-28, March 01, 1947
- The first attempts to consider the behavior of so-called "random neural nets" in a systematic way have led to a series of problems concerned with relations between the "structure" and the "function" of such nets. The "structure" of a random net is not a clearly defined topological manifold such as could be used to describe a circuit with explicitly given connections. In a random neural net, one does not speak of "this" neuron synapsing on "that" one, but rather in terms of tendencies and probabilities associated with points or regions in the net.
- Anatol Rapoport. "Cycle distributions in random nets." The bulletin of mathematical biophysics 10.3 (1948): 145-157.
- Whether sociology can ever become a full-fledged "science" (a description of a class of events predictable on the basis of deductions from a constant rationale) depends on whether the terms which sociologists employ to describe events can be analyzed into quantifiable observables.
- Anatol Rapoport, "Outline of a probabilistic approach to animal sociology: I." The Bulletin of mathematical biophysics 11.3 (1949): p 183
1950s edit
- No map contains all the information about the territory it represents. The road map we get at the gasoline station may show all the roads in the state, but it will not as a rule show latitude and longitude. A physical map goes into details about the topography of a country but is indifferent to political boundaries. Furthermore, the scale of the map makes a big difference. The smaller the scale the less features will be shown.
- Anatol Rapoport Science and the goals of man: a study in semantic orientation. Greenwood Press, 1950/1971. p. 85
- A fundamental value in the scientific outlook is concern with the best available map of reality. The scientist will always seek a description of events which enables him to predict most by assuming least. He thus already prefers a particular form of behavior. If moralities are systems of preferences, here is at least one point at which science cannot be said to be completely without preferences. Science prefers good maps.
- Anatol Rapoport Science and the goals of man: a study in semantic orientation. Greenwood Press, 1950/1971. p. 224; Partly cited in: Book review by Harold G. Wren, in Louisiana Law Review, Vol 13, nr 4, May 1953
- [It is a] well-known fact that the likely contacts of two individuals who are closely acquainted tend to be more overlapping than those of two arbitrarily selected individuals
- Anatol Rapoport (1954, p. 75); as quoted in: Samuel Leinhardt (1977) Social Networks: A Developing Paradigm, p. 350
- It is misleading in a crucial way to view information as something that can be poured into an empty vessel, like a fluid or even energy.
- Anatol Rapoport (1956) "The Promise and Pitfalls of Information Theory"; AS quoted in: Peter Corning (2010) Holistic Darwinism, p. 364
- The transition from the concept of information in the technical (communication engineering) sense to the semantic (theory of meaning) sense was indeed difficult, if not impossible.
- Anatol Rapoport (1956), as quoted in: Richard C. Huseman (1977) Readings in interpersonal & organizational communication. p. 35
- The predictions of physical theories for the most part concern situations where initial conditions can be precisely specified. If such initial conditions are not found in nature, they can be arranged. Such arrangements are considerably easier to realize with inanimate than with animate matter, because the properties of animate matter are much more sensitive to being tampered with than inanimate matter. In particular, living tissue in vitro may behave quite differently than in situ. Controlled biological experiments are, of course, possible, but they are more difficult and their scope is more limited than that of physical experiments. For this reason, biology has had to depend to a greater extent than physics on theories of larger speculative scope, in which reasoning by imaginative analogy plays a more important role.
- Anatol Rapoport (1956) "The Search for Simplicity"
- A theorem is a proposition which is a strict logical consequence of certain definitions and other propositions
- Anatol Rapoport. "Various meanings of "theory"." American Political Science Review 52.04 (1958): 972-988.
"What is Semantics?", 1950 edit
Anatol Rapoport. "What is Semantics?" In: S. I. Hayakawa (ed.). Language, New York 1950, Harper & Brothers; Republished in: Et Cetera, (1951); American Scientist, Vol. 40, No. 1 (Jan. 1952), pp. 123-135; and General Systems 23 (1978): 159-164.
- There are two suffixes in our language (and similar ones in other European languages) which suggest organized knowledge. One is the venerable, academic "ology," that reminds one of university curricula and scholarship. The other is the energetic and somewhat mysterious "ics," which has a connotative flavor of magic. Where "ology" suggests academic isolation (ichthyology, philology) "ics" suggests a method of attack on life's problems. It contains a faint throwback to the ancient dreams of the philosopher's stone and of "keys" to the riddles of the universe. Ancient words ending in "ics" are mathematics and metaphysics. Of more recent origin are economics, statistics, semantics, and cybernetics.
- 1950, p. 12 (1952, p. 123) lead paragraph
- Who Are the Semanticists? To answer this question, let us go to the writings of those who make frequent references to semantics or to equivalent terms which have to do with the study of meaning. We find that a number of prominent thinkers have occupied themselves with this study. In England these include Whitehead, Russell, Ogden, Richards, Ayer, and others; in Austria (later scattered, fleeing from fascism), a group of writers who called themselves the Vienna Circle, which included Carnap and Frank (now in in the United States), Wittgenstein (now in England), and Neurath (deceased); the United States is represented by Charles Morris, and Poland by Tarski and Korzybski (deceased), both of whom emigrated to the United States.
- 1950, p. 12 (1952, p. 123)
- For a general semanticist, communication is not merely words in proper order properly inflected (as for the grammarian) or assertions in proper relation to each other (as for the logician) or assertions in proper relation to referents (as for the semanticist), but all these together, with the chain of 'fact to nervous system to language to nervous system to action.
- 1950, p. 14; as cited in: Adam Schaff (1962). Introduction to semantics, p. 105.
- "What is good in Korzybski's work," they say, "is not new, and what is new is not good." On the other hand, many "Korzybski-ites" proclaim that Korzybski's work has "nothing to do" with semantics. They go so far as to say that the very term "general semantics" was an unfortunate choice; that had Korzybski known what confusion would arise between semantics and general semantics he would not have used it at all. Korzybski himself has maintained that while semantics belongs to the philosophy of language and perhaps to the theory of knowledge, general semantics belongs to empirical science: that it is the foundation of a science of man, the basis of the first "non-aristotelian system," which has had no predecessor and which no academic semanticist has ever achieved.
- (1951, p. 14)
- The accusations of cultism leveled against Korzybski's followers are not altogether unfounded. In the United States there is a large floating population of 'truthseekers'. Many of them lack the capacity of strenuous intellectual effort required in a fruitful pursuit of knowledge and wisdom; others lack the power of critical evaluation, which would enable them to tell the genuine from the false. Still others cannot be comfortable until they find a panacea to believe in. These people support 'movements' and cults. They are as likely to 'go for' Christian Science as for technocracy, for psychoanalysis as for theosophy, for the Great Books programme as for dianetics. And so inevitably one finds some of them among the adherents of general semantics ... Whether they were actually helped by general semantics or by other factors cannot be determined without sufficient controls. But they went about spreading the faith, thus giving a cultist flavour to the 'movement'.
- p. 6; as cited in: Schaff (1962; 94-95)
- If Korzybski cannot be said to have established an empirical science, what then has he done? He has pointed a way toward the establishment of such a science. He was a precursor of an intellectual revolution which is just now beginning and which promises to match that of the Renaissance. If Korzybski is seen in this role, then the question of his originality or erudition is not important. He might have something of a dilettante in him. He might have pretended to have more specialized knowledge than he actually had. Great portions of his outlook might be found in the works of more modest and more meticulous workers, That is not important. He was a man of vision and an apostle. Such men are all too rare in our age of specialization.
- p. 6; as cited in: Schaff (1962; 95)
1960s edit
- The outstanding feature of behavior is that it is often quite easy to recognize but extremely difficult or impossible to describe with precision.
- Anatol Rapoport, "An Essay on Mind". Reprinted in Toward Definition of Mind (Jordan Ma Scher, editor). Glencoe, Illinois: Free Press, 1962. p. 92
- In the case of strategy and conscience, I am not sure. Here I believe, is essential incompatibility, not merely a result of misunderstanding. I do not believe one can bring both into focus. One cannot play chess if one becomes aware of the pieces as living souls and of the fact that the Whites and the Blacks have more in common with each other than with the players. Suddenly one loses all interest in who will be champion.
- Anatol Rapoport, Strategy and Conscience. Harper & Row, 1964. p. 195
- The military forces of the revolutionary adversary are diffuse. One is never sure whether one has destroyed them unless one is ready to destroy a large portion of the population, and this usually conflicts with the political aim of the war and hence also violates a fundamental Clausewitzian principle
- Anatol Rapoport (1968), as quoted in: William John Thomas Mitchel (2011) Cloning Terror: The War of Images, 9/11 to the Present. p. viii
- There are different levels of organization in the occurrence of events. You cannot explain the events of one level in terms of the events of another. For example, you cannot explain life in terms of mechanical concepts, nor society in terms of individual psychology. Analysis can only take you down the scale of organization. It cannot reveal the workings of things on a higher level. To some extent the holistic philosophers are right.
- Anatol Rapoport, General Systems, Vol. 14, (1969), p. 96; As cited in: Gordon Chen (1980) The General Theory of Systems Applied to Management and Organization, Volume 2, p. 590
- It is one thing to say that the dwelling has symbolic and cosmological aspects... and another to say that it has been erected for ritual purposes and is neither shelter nor dwelling but a temple.
- Anatol Rapoport (1969:40); As quoted in: Michael Parker Pearson, Colin Richards (2003) Architecture and Order: Approaches to Social Space. p. 49 : Commented on the theory of religious origin
- The "flow of information" through human communication channels is enormous. So far no theory exists, to our knowledge, which attributes any sort of unambiguous measure to this "flow".
- Anatol Rapoport (1969) in: Modern Systems Research for the Behavioral Scientist. p. 139
Fights, games, and debates, (1960) edit
Anatol Rapoport. Fights, games, and debates. University of Michigan Press, 1960/1974.
- It is the shortcomings of game theory (as originally formulated) which force the consideration of the role of ethics, of the dynamics of social structure, and of social structure and of individual psychology in situations of conflict.
- p, vii (1974)
- In a game, the potentialities and evaluations of alternative outcomes must be taken into account, if the reactions of the opponents to each other's moves are to moves are to be understood or described systematically.
- p. 10
- Conflict... is a theme that has occupied the thinking of man more than any other, save only God and love. In the vast output of discourse on the subject, conflict has been treated in every conceivable way. It has been treated descriptively, as in history and fiction; it has been treated in an aura of moral approval, as in epos; with implicit resignation, as in tragedy; with moral disapproval, as in pacifistic religions. There is a body of knowledge called military science, presumably concerned with strategies of armed conflict. There are innumerable handbooks, which teach how to play specific games of strategy. Psychoanalysts are investigating the genesis of "fight-like" situations within the individual, and social psychologists are doing the same on the level of groups and social classes.
- p. 11
- At present game theory has, in my opinion, two important uses, neither of them related to games nor to conflict directly. First, game theory stimulates us to think about conflict in a novel way. Second, game theory leads to some genuine impasses, that is, to situations where its axiomatic base is shown to be insufficient for dealing even theoretically with certain types of conflict situations... Thus, the impact is made on our thinking process themselves, rather than on the actual content of our knowledge.
- p. 242; As cited in: Han Dorussen. "Min beste fagbok: Anatol Rapoport: Fights, Games, and Debates" at sv.ntnu.no, 1998
"The Use and Misuse of Game Theory," 1962 edit
Anatol Rapoport, "The Use and Misuse of Game Theory," Scientific American, December 1962, 108–18, 108.
- We live in an age of belief-belief in the omnipotence of science. This belief is bolstered by the fact that the problems scientists are called on to solve are for the most part selected by the scientists themselves.
- p. 108
- A thorough understanding of game theory, should dim these greedy hopes. Knowledge of game theory does not make one a better card player, businessman or military strategist.
- p. 108
- Game theory applies to a very different type of conflict, now technically called a game. The well-known games such as poker, chess, ticktacktoe and so forth are games in the strict technical Bark and counterbark sense. But what makes parlor games games is not their entertainment value or detachment from real life.
- p. 108
- Although the drama of games of strategy is strongly linked with the psychological aspects of the conflict, game theory is not concerned with these aspects. Game theory, so to speak, plays the board. It is concerned only with the logical aspects of strategy.
- p. 110
- Whether game theory leads to clear-cut solutions, to vague solutions, or to impasses, it does achieve one thing. In bringing techniques of logical and mathematical analysis gives men an opportunity to bring conflicts up from the level of fights, where the intellect is beclouded by passions, to the level of games, where the intellect has a chance to operate.
- p. 114
Prisoner's dilemma: A study in conflict and cooperation (1965) edit
Anatol Rapoport Prisoner's dilemma: A study in conflict and cooperation. co-authored by Albert S. Chammah. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press, 1965.
- Many psychologists, sociologists and especially anthropologists and psychiatrists raise serious objections against routine attempts to "extend the methods of the physical sciences" to the study of man. These objections cannot be dismissed simply on the grounds that they are not constructive; for inherent in the objections may well be a conviction that there can never be a "behavioral science" as scientists understand science. Whether there can be such a science or not will be decided neither by citing successful applications of "scientific method" to carefully circumscribed sectors of human behavior nor by pointing out what has not yet been done. Therefore on the question of whether a behavioral science can in principle be constructed, we shall take no sides. That some kinds of human behavior can be described and even predicted in terms of objectively verifiable and quantifiable data seems to us to have been established.
- p. v
- Crisis in its simplest terms is defined as an upset in a steady state... the habitual problem-solving activities are not adequate and do not rapidly lead to the previously achieved balance state.
- p. 24
- The usefulness of the models in constructing a testable theory of the process is severely limited by the quickly increasing number of parameters which must be estimated in order to compare the predictions of the models with empirical results.
- p. 150
- Our first objective in undertaking the experimental program described here has been to gain some understanding of what goes on in long sequences of plays of Prisoner's Dilemma. We have attempted to gain this understanding by postulating a system going through a sequence of states and by attempting to formulate some mathematical models from which the dynamics of the system could be deduced. Once such a model is found, its parameters, properly interpreted, become the key terms in the emerging psychological theory. This strategy can be deemed successful, if the parameters so discovered are independent of the process itself, if they suggest further investigation, and if the further investigations, in turn, lead to a more inclusive theory.
- p. 185
- (Game theory is) essentially a structural theory. It uncovers the logical structure of a great variety of conflict situations and describes this structure in mathematical terms. Sometimes the logical structure of a conflict situation admits rational decisions; sometimes it does not.
- p. 196
"The Study of Conflict," 1968 edit
Anatol Rapoport (1968) "The Study of Conflict," Can. Pap. in Peace Studies No. 1; As quoted in: Science for Peace in SfP Bulletin, June 1989.
- We must admit that it is extremely difficult to formulate a theory sufficiently general to encompass all possible sufficient causes of wars. With regard to necessary causes, however,... it is weapons. Without weapons wars could not be fought. We are told that, deprived of weapons, people would still fight with sticks and stones. This, however, need not concern us. We are concerned not just with fighting but with the sort of mass insanity that can destroy the entire civilization, the product of millenia of accumulated effort, in a matter of hours. And this can be done only with real, up-to-date weapons, not sticks and stones.
- [Education] seems to be the only hope: to spread enlightenment sufficiently wide so that people can no longer be manipulated to give consent to policies that will surely eventually lead to their own destruction.
- The American Revolution was ignited by the slogan 'no taxation without representation', a slogan suggested by democratic ideals... Ought not the present day version of the old slogan be 'No annihilation without representation?
1970s and later edit
- To gain knowledge, we must learn to ask the right questions; and to get answers, we must act, not wait for answers to occur to us.
- Anatol Rapoport, "Modern Systems Theory – An Outlook for Coping with Change", paper given in the 1970 John Umstead Distinguished Lectures at North Carolina Department of Mental Health, Research Division, on 5 February 1970, and appeared in Revue Francaise de Sociologie, October 1969, p. 16
- Centralization of society's vital services in giant computer centers, reservoirs, nuclear power plants, air- traffic control centers, 100-story skyscrapers, and government compounds increases its vulnerability. ... choosing his targets, today's saboteur could pollute a city's water supply, dynamite power transmission towers, cripple an airport control center, destroy a corporate or government computer center.
- Anatol Rapoport, as quoted in: Gerald McKnight (1973) Computer crime, p. 203
- The outcome of a non-constant-sum game may be dictated by the individual rationality of the respective players without satisfying a criterion of collective rationality.
- Anatol Rapoport. (1974). Game Theory as a Theory of Conflict Resolution p. 4
- The purpose of formulating [a] conflict as a game is not that of resolving the conflict by 'solving the game.' It is that of displaying the structure of the conflict and thereby exposing features of it that may be concealed by rhetoric. In particular, appreciation of the peculiar structure of some of the so-called mixed—motive conflicts represented nonzero-sum games may change the conflicting parties' perception of their situation.
- Anatol Rapoport, Conflict in man-made environment. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1974; As cited in M.J. Apter, J.H. Kerr, S. Murgatroyd (1993) Advances in Reversal Theory. p. 63-64
- In the US. Infantry Manual published during World War II, the soldier was told what to do if a live grenade fell into the trench where he and others were sitting: to wrap himself around the grenade so as to at least save the others. (If no one "volunteered," all would be killed, and there were only a few seconds to decide who would be the hero.)
- Anatol Rapoport (1988), quoted in: William Poundstone (2011) Prisoner's Dilemma. p. 203
Quotes about Anatol Rapoport edit
- Anatol Rapoport is a pioneer and lead-figure of the systems sciences, studies in conflict & cooperation, and peace research. He is professor emeritus of Psychology and Mathematics at the University of Toronto, Canada... Rapoport has spearheaded many scientific innovations, including the application of mathematical methods, first to Biology and later to the Social Sciences. Moreover, he is one of the rare thinkers who have contributed significantly to "marrying" philosophy and science. The originality and rigor of his thinking make his theoretical oeuvre extraordinarily resourceful, as well as unique in its ethical substance and esthetical appeal. Rapoport operates from a multidimensional background of experience and studies (see the following C.V.), embodying a deep humanistic commitment (cf. Rapoport 1994), and a profoundly systemic thinking.
- Markus Schwaninger "Anatol Rapoport (*1911)" at isss.org, September 1998.
- The social psychologist and game theorist Anatol Rapoport (creator of the winning Tit-for-Tat strategy in Robert Axelrod's legendary prisoner's dilemma tournament) once promulgated a list of rules for how to write a successful critical commentary on an opponent's work. First, he said, you must attempt to re-express your opponent's position so clearly, vividly and fairly that your opponent says "Thanks, I wish I'd thought of putting it that way." Then, you should list any points of agreement (especially if they are not matters of general or widespread agreement), and third, you should mention anything you have learned from your opponent. Only then are you permitted to say so much as a word of rebuttal or criticism.
- Daniel Dennett, quoted in In memoriam: Anatol Rapoport at whimsley.typepad.com, 2007/02
External links edit
- Profile of Anatol Rapoport
- Anatol Rapoport quotes George Washington University


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NEW!!! Scratch your iPod tunes!
"Everybody wants to be a DJ" - De La Soul
Now you can too, with Flare, the world's most compact Professional DJ Turntable.
Choose a record, select a beat and start scratching. Expert DJs can perfect their unstoppable techniques in precision scratch mode while waiting for the bus. Beginners can learn the ropes without buying an expensive, bulky turntable. Scratch tunes directly from your iPod/iTunes library or try out Flare's bundled battle records and loops.
iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad Compatible
Flare Scratch Instructions
Engine Switch
Pressing this will stop or start the turntable spinning
The Transform button quickly opens and closes the volume fader, enabling specialised scratch techniques
Volume Fader
This fader controls the volume level of the Scratchrecord
Precision Zoom
To activate the Precision Zoom, place two fingers on the record surface and split them apart in a reverse pinch gesture.
While zoomed, you will have much finer control over sample playback from the Scratchrecord.
To exit from this mode, pinch anywhere on the record
Beatloop Switch
A Beatloop is a looped tune that provides a backing track for you to scratch over.
Tap this to start or stop the current Beatloop
Arm Switch
Tap this to move the tone arm to the beginning of the record
Record Surface
Press and hold the record then shift it in either direction to create a Scratch sound.
There are any number of scratch techniques to learn and effects that can be created with the right combination of moves and sounds.
* Upgrade to iOS 4.1 for full iTunes library access© Async Pty Ltd 2008-2018. All rights reserved.


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With each kernel update, a new entry is placed in Grub to provide a way to boot that specific kernel version.
I have about 5 at the moment and, to be honest, once I have confirmed I can boot into the new kernel version, I never go back to a previous version.
I'd like to manage the items in this list from the desktop rather than edit the file, is there a way to do this using the GUI from within Ubuntu itself?


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Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. makes for powerful courtroom drama. Calling it drama, however, is faint praise. It's entertaining and thrilling but the effects are shallow and they don't last.
I have been asked to comment on the trial that just concluded and I find it difficult. The problem for me is that I've seen too many of these dramas. From the United States v. Microsoft to NPD v. RIM and Nokia v. X, Y or Z to make sweeping conclusions. This frustrates the journalist.
The problem is that the process of litigation leads to little satisfaction for any of the parties. There is always the anticipation of catharsis, but it never comes. The expectation is understandable. We are led to believe that the law is decisive, the ultimate adjudicator. The reason it isn't is that the system was established in a different era. A time when technological change was slow, or non-existent. As a result the institutions of law move so slowly that they are nearly futile in administering justice or righting wrongs.
Here are just a few problems I can cite without any research:
- Legal processes are glacial. They tend to last longer than the lives of the products being litigated. In the case of phones with shelf lives of six months to a year, the trials are unlikely to get underway before the accused infringer is already off the market.
- The law is ambiguous. IP law varies and is subject to interpretation. What one jury (or judge) finds unanimously infringing another will find non-infringing. This gets even more dramatic when comparing decisions across countries and legal systems and through appeals processes and the influence of political considerations.
- It's a big world. Even though patents can be internationalized, the way they are enforced varies.
- The financial penalties or awards are arbitrary. As exposed during the Apple v. Samsung (US) trial, the impact of infringement can be calculated numerous ways, all hypothetical.
- It is incredibly complex. The technicalities are so onerous that they baffle judges and lawyers and legal experts, not to mention company management and lay jurors.
- It is costly. Only major companies or those backed by legal hit squads can participate in litigation. This means it sustains incumbents rather than facilitate entry. By necessity, entrants need to "route around IP."
But the most damning thing about the litigation process is that it's assumed to be decisive. Decisive in terms of altering the success (or failure) of companies. That rarely happens. Instead it adds friction to an existing, inevitable outcome. Sometimes it cripples the winner and rewards the loser.
Therefore strategists need to be careful to avoid placing their faith in this system. It's a lottery at best, a time and money sink at worst. Considering the analogy to litigation as drama, I would re-phrase this caution as a warning not to treat litigation as Deus ex Machina. It's not something that will get your business out of a jam or reward you for a violation, perceived or real.
Practically, these exercises in drama are used to signal. Signal to competitors, partners, customers and employees. In other words, they are used to create psychological effects. But we know that psychology can be effectively shaped with other messages. Signals that products themselves give (positioning), or that are shaped by communications via advertising. And these means for signaling are much more effective than using the legal system. So why not use traditional means of signaling?
This is the crutch of Deus ex Machina. That this artifice will help tell a story. That "a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly solved with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object."
It won't.


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How to make a Juke-style pitched 808 kick pattern
Getting started...
Over the past couple of years, the fast paced, drum machine-driven sound of juke and footwork has gained an ever-growing following outside of the genre's native cities of Chicago and Detroit.
The sound's adoption by producers such as Addison Groove and Machinedrum, plus labels like Planet Mu, means that the high tempo, rough edged style is having an increasing influence on artists worldwide.
808 kick drums are often used to get the faster footwork sound, so let's take a look at how we can create that authentic old-school analogue feel using software.
Start by loading D16's Nepheton drum machine (demo version available from the developer's site) into your DAW. Activate the Patt. Write button, then hold Ctrl or Apple and hit the red Clear button. This gives us an empty pattern to play with.
Export a kick
Set the kick (bass) drum sound's Level and Decay parameters to maximum, then adjust the Tone and Sweep knobs to 12 o'clock. The Patt. Write button will be selected by default. Double-click the first step on the sequencer to put a louder kick drum note there. You don't need to create a MIDI sequence at all - just export a bar of audio from your DAW and the kick drum sound will be there.
Open a sampler
Load the exported audio into a sampler - we're using Live's built-in Simpler instrument for this example. The level of the instrument is set to -12dB by default. We're only going to be playing one note at a time, so we can have it play back much louder without overloading the master. Set the Volume level to 0dB.
Programming the kick
With the 808 kick sound loaded into a sampler, you can play it chromatically, which allows us to make juke-style pitched kick drum lines. Set your DAW's Tempo to 160bpm and copy the MIDI pattern we've used here. This creates a pumping pattern with plenty of low end, though the kick drum sound itself is pretty clicky.
We could have turned down the Tone knob before exporting the audio from Nepheton to make the kick sound duller, but by leaving any filtering to this stage, we have more creative control over the sound. A simple way to reduce the level of the click is to use an EQ plug-in with one band set to low-pass like so. However, we can get more interesting results using Simpler's built-in filter.
More EQ tricks
Remove or bypass the EQ and instead activate Simpler's filter by clicking the Filter On button in the bottom left-hand corner. Turn the cutoff (Freq) level down to 30Hz. You'll hear that the click is now filtered out. Because the Key parameter is activated, the cutoff frequency will follow the note played.
Tweaking the filter
This means that you can play higher notes and they'll still be heard rather than filtered out. You can also use the filter envelope to control the frequency of the cutoff, creating interesting and useful effects. Turn the Env parameter in the Filter section up to 72, then activate the filter envelope by clicking the button next to the word Filter in the Envelope panel.
More filtering
Click the Filter Envelope tab to bring it up. Set its values to 0.22ms for Attack, 9.86ms for Decay, 0 for Sustain and 50ms for Release. Next, return to the Filter panel and adjust cutoff (Freq) to 119Hz and Res to 0.91. The attack stage of the filter cutoff might be short, but it's very effective at taking the click off the start of the sound while retaining the mid-range weight of the attack stage.
Adding a limiter
You can get a lot more perceived volume from the kick by adding a limiter after the sampler instrument. It's important to remember with limiting that you're decreasing the dynamic range of the sound. Be careful not to overdo it - this will result in a really loud sound, but it will lack punch.


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Edward Knippers has been making Jesus naked for at least 30 years.
A pillar of contemporary Christian art, Knippers consistently paints raw and often disturbing images of Jesus, Mary and the rest of the Bible crew.
The fact that almost all of them are sans fig leaf leaves a percentage of viewers wringing their hands in distress or shame. What to make of an avalanche of deeply stained flesh tumbling across a canvas, often in indelicate encounters? But Knippers' motivation is far from the modern shock artists who seek the next great moral transgression and work so hard for a little notoriety.
He takes it seriously enough to develop a personal theology regarding nudity in art and the importance of the body.
"Disembodiment is not an option for the Christian," Knippers explains in a statement that is deeply and theologically informed. "The Incarnation was accomplished in a real body with real blood, in actual time and space."
TRENDING: Our founders' solution to the border insanity
Bodies will be eternally ours in some shape or matter, he reminds us. It is an essential element in the Christian doctrines of creation, incarnation and resurrection.
In "The Christ Crowed with Thorns " (1998) and most of his work, Knippers uses the human form as a variable, standing on its own for many things. Three bodies are the only objects in this painting with little background. It falls on the interaction, color, mood, pose, tension and emotion of the men to imply the entire story, one of brutality, cruelty and injustice. Two tormentors are cropped and faceless, possibly to represent all mankind crucifying him.
Jesus is already bloody and mottled with the colors of death, but still corporeal, as if Adam had fallen from the Sistine Chapel and smitten within an inch of his life. Agonized and grotesque, Christ's features and expression are exaggerated and painful to see. In fact Knippers tends to portray few attractive men or women regardless of their identity. This may be to offset any prurient perception in a swoon of entangled nude men and women.
His paintings are not for the squeamish or faint of heart. They include mutilation, cadavers, sexual organs, illness and death. When I asked Knippers why he had limited himself with only biblical subjects for almost four decades, he responded that all other themes are contained in the Bible. Social, ethical and political subjects like justice are implied or explicitly dealt with in the Bible. Knippers uses his art to pose a different slant on "fairness," which he says is not in the vocabulary of Christians. It is replaced by grace, or getting good things from God, even undeserved. Because of grace the gospel is a meta-picture where fairness is just a subset of grace but not the same.
The artist is aware of the tension and conflicts his work elicits, particularly among the faithful. Knippers deliberately employs the shock of violence, injury, lust, death and ugliness to shift perspective to the tangible things on earth Jesus is beefy and sweaty, looking more like a pro-wrestler rather than the emaciated ascetic we know.
Knippers' characters break all taboos over body space and boundaries, making the viewer even more uneasy as in his close-up kiss from a nude Judas. One reviewer described his hot, grappling forms as a "premeditated assault: a kind of esthetic and emotional rape."
Physicality is "messy, demanding and always a challenge to control," so even believers are replacing it with a virtual reality, Knippers explains. People typically either worship their bodies through pornography and nature cults or "prudishly reject" what God has called "good."
"Neither is a Christian response," he flatly states.
His art is an attempt to come up with a better contemporary vision of life in the body and the church.
Knippers tried different styles of painting early on, notably abstraction. Yet they didn't work to relate Christian narrative and faith in a vivid, relevant way – at least for him. While abstraction could be evocative or suggest qualities of God, it couldn't express who God is, his qualities and personality, especially while he existed here in human form. As Christ speaks to humanity in "concrete and provocative terms," Knippers was looking for an art that could do the same thing.
He found it in the writings of Flannery O'Connor and in Baroque art. O'Connor was serious about her faith and work, describing her stories as "hard because there is nothing harder or less sentimental than Christian realism." Her work portrayed daily life so ugly at times she was described as a "horror writer" (to her amusement.) Reviewers "have hold of the wrong horror" she wrote, and Knippers understands. Christians believe there truly is a "fate worse than death."
That reality still hasn't changed taste in art for many Christians who don't enjoy seeing the cosmic battles of good and evil played out in lurid color, but prefer only beautiful aesthetics. Does this have a spiritual component of denial or distortion of reality as Ms. O'Connor marked it? She was describing the frustrations and challenges facing Christians in the contemporary art world – and that was in 1948.
Knippers was charged; he just needed to find a similar vehicle that worked for painters. In the early 1980s he had an encounter with Baroque art at a National Gallery show on the influence of Caravaggio. He soaked in the great altarpiece depicting "The Seven Works of Mercy" with dramatic lighting, movement and layers of people compressed tightly in space. Christian themes on the walls that day seemed to be imbued with a spiritual force moving through mortal bodies and were openly emotional and expressive. The hand of Baroque giant Peter Paul Rubens is revealed in some Knippers' paintings via unfashionable womanly heft and sensual, lavish painting. The influence of the show continues with him to this day.
In his "Conversion of Paul," a vast piece almost 10 feet across, bodies are still central but Knippers gives them a little breathing room. His subjects no longer collapse across each other in a claustrophobic sprawl, but there's still room for rearing horses and fleeing men. The boggling scale of this work is common for Knippers and allows full size figures, which adds drama and sense of grandeur. Knippers muted the hues a bit here, using a more refined touch with a lighter palette. If his meaty, massive bodies are tributes to Rubens, the epic composition, rearing horses and coloring are closer to Tiepolo.
Knippers has had to beat his own path through the contemporary art scene, which is decidedly not thrilled with anything looking remotely Baroque, even the modern, inspired remodel that he developed. A tendency to academic analysis almost quenches faith-based art and narrative unless it comes with explanations, analysis and reams of statements.
Knippers has thoughtful statements and can defend his work, but some secular galleries aren't interested in thinking about Christianity that hard. Theodore Prescott relates a well-known D.C. gallery privately telling Knippers they loved his work but couldn't handle it because it would "mark" them. The stigma of Christian themes through what appears to be a Western, European tradition is one of the few unpardonable "sins" in much of the contemporary art world.
But Knippers has had a much tougher time with evangelicals and conservative Christians who take the depiction of Christ in art quite seriously. An exhibition in Huntington College in the 1990s was abruptly closed by the administration after student protests. Covenant College also closed his show down after an enraged neighbor actually slashed some of his paintings, claiming they "made the Old and New Testaments into a nudist colony."
But many others appreciate his work. Knippers relates the time he staged mounting of massive paintings in a large church and stayed to watch the reaction of viewers. Some exclaimed or just stopped in their tracks and stared or meditated. More than one viewer said their "breath was taken away" or they were "awestruck." That kind of experience energizes an artist and lets him know God uses his work, even if a lot of people hate it.
Over the last decade Knipper's work has slid in a decidedly cubist direction, although he hasn't left his vision of Christianity expressed through the human body. In "Moses and the Burning Bush" (2008) roughly half the painting is covered with fractured arcs and slivers of light while a stunned man in the foreground removes his shoes. Moses remains distinctly human, while the scattered, formless rays can only be God. This style is quite his own, a type of hybrid neo-Baroque and neo-Cubist, if you had to classify it. Earlier in his work Knippers was concerned over the rejection of full Christian life in the flesh; now his figures also strive to reach and perceive the transcendent.
Seeing what Knippers has suffered at the hands of his friends as well as the expected resistance from the secular art world, young Christian artists could be discouraged. I asked him if he had any advice to believers who work in the arts.
Knippers ignored the issue of content and advises, "Ask yourself first, is this what God truly wants for me, not just what I desire?
"Being an artist or anything else must not replace your identity in Christ first," he added. "If you are certain, then it is a true vocation, and you will have the resources of the universe at your behalf."
Thanks to Theodore Prescott, "Edward Knippers: A Profile," and Timothy Verdon, "Violence and Grace in the Art of Edward Knippers."


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October 15, 2007
The Recent Financial Turmoil and its Economic and Policy Consequences
Chairman Ben S. Bernanke
At the Economic Club of New York, New York, New York
The past several months have been an eventful period for the U.S. economy. In financial markets, sharpened concerns about credit quality induced a retrenchment by investors, leading in some cases to significant deterioration in market functioning. For some households and firms, credit became harder to obtain and, for those who could obtain it, more costly. Tightening credit conditions in turn threatened to intensify the ongoing correction in the housing market and to restrain economic growth. In response to these developments, the Federal Reserve has taken a number of measures to help ensure the normal functioning of financial markets and to promote sustainable economic growth and price stability. In my remarks this evening I will review recent events, discuss the Federal Reserve's responses to those events, and conclude with some comments on the economic outlook in light of recent developments. Although financial markets around the world have come under pressure in the past few months, I will focus my comments primarily on the United States. I will also have little to say this evening about the serious implications of rising rates of mortgage delinquency and foreclosure for troubled borrowers and their communities or about the Federal Reserve's responses to these important problems; I have discussed these issues several times in the past and will return to them in the future.
The Origins and Evolution of the Financial Turmoil
Overall, U.S. economic performance so far this year has been reasonably good. The rate of economic expansion slowed somewhat in late 2006 and early 2007, but growth in the second quarter was solid and some of that momentum appears to have carried over into the third quarter. The pace of private-sector job creation has slowed this year, but the unemployment rate has moved up only a little from its recent lows. And, although energy prices have been volatile, indicators of the underlying inflation trend, such as core inflation, have moderated since the middle of last year.
Moderate growth in overall economic activity has continued despite a notable contraction in the housing sector that began in the second half of 2005. The housing correction has intensified this year as demand has declined further, inventories of unsold new homes have climbed relative to sales, and house prices have decelerated, with some areas of the country experiencing outright declines in home values. In response to weak demand and bloated inventories, homebuilders have sharply curtailed new construction. The decline in residential investment directly subtracted about 3/4 percentage point from the average pace of U.S. economic growth over the past year and a half. In its regular reports to Congress, most recently in July, the Federal Reserve Board has highlighted as a downside risk the possibility that housing weakness might spill over to other parts of the economy--for example, by acting as a restraint on consumer spending. Thus far, however, direct evidence of such spillovers onto the broader economy has been limited.
The housing correction has taken a more visible toll on the financial markets. In particular, since early this year, investors have become increasingly concerned about the credit quality of mortgages, especially subprime mortgages. The rate of serious delinquencies has risen notably for subprime mortgages with adjustable rates, reaching nearly 16 percent in August, roughly triple the recent low in mid-2005.1 Subprime mortgages originated in late 2005 and 2006 have performed especially poorly, in part because of a deterioration in underwriting standards. Moreover, many recent-vintage subprime loans will experience their first interest-rate resets in coming quarters. With the softness in house prices likely to make refinancing more difficult, delinquencies on these mortgages are expected to rise further.
At one time, most mortgages were originated by depository institutions and held on their balance sheets. Today, however, mortgages are often bundled together into mortgage-backed securities or structured credit products, rated by credit rating agencies, and then sold to investors. As mortgage losses have mounted, investors have questioned the reliability of the credit ratings, especially those of structured products. Since many investors had not performed independent evaluations of these often-complex instruments, the loss of confidence in the credit ratings led to a sharp decline in the willingness of investors to purchase these products. Liquidity dried up, prices fell, and spreads widened. Since July, few securities backed by subprime mortgages have been issued.
Investors' reluctance to buy has not been confined to securities related to subprime mortgages. Notably, the secondary market for private-label securities backed by prime jumbo mortgages has also contracted, and issuance of such securities has dwindled.2 Even though default rates on such mortgages have remained very low, the experience with subprime mortgages has evidently made investors more sensitive to the risks associated with other housing-related assets as well.
The problems in the mortgage-related sector reverberated throughout the financial system and particularly in the market for asset-backed commercial paper (ABCP). In this market, various institutions have established special-purpose vehicles to issue commercial paper to help fund a variety of assets, including some private-label mortgage-backed securities, mortgages warehoused for securitization, and other long-maturity assets. Investors had typically viewed the commercial paper backed by these assets as quite safe and liquid, because of the quality of the collateral and because the paper is often supported by banks' commitments to provide lines of credit or to assume some credit risk. But the concerns about mortgage-backed securities and structured credit products (even those unrelated to mortgages) greatly reduced the willingness of investors to roll over ABCP, particularly at maturities of more than a few days. The problems intensified in the second week of August after the announcement by a large overseas bank that it could not value the ABCP held by some of its money funds and was, as a result, suspending redemptions from those funds. Some commercial paper issuers invoked their right to extend the maturity of their paper, and a few issuers defaulted. In response to the heightening of perceived risks, investors fled to the safety and liquidity of Treasury bills, sparking a plunge in bill rates and a sharp widening in spreads on ABCP.
The retreat by investors from structured investment products also affected business finance. In particular, issuance of collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), which in turn had been major buyers of leveraged syndicated loans, fell off significantly during the summer. Demand for leveraged loans slowed sharply, reducing credit access for private equity firms and other borrowers seeking to finance leveraged buyouts (LBOs).
Concerns about liquidity and credit risk surfaced even in markets in which securitization plays a much smaller role. For example, spreads on lower-tier unsecured commercial paper jumped and issuance was limited to very short maturities. In corporate bond markets, issuance of speculative-grade bonds dropped off sharply as risk spreads widened. And although equity prices have moved up on balance since late spring, swings in prices have been large; indeed, the expected stock-price volatilities implicit in options prices roughly doubled during the summer before falling back more recently.
As the strains in financial markets intensified, many of the largest banks became concerned about the possibility that they might face large draws on their liquidity and difficult-to-forecast expansions of their balance sheets. They recognized that they might have to provide backup funding to programs that were no longer able to issue ABCP. Moreover, in the absence of an active syndication market for the leveraged loans they had committed to underwrite and without a well-functioning securitization market for the nonconforming mortgages they had issued, many large banks might be forced to hold those assets on their books rather than sell them to investors as planned. In these circumstances of heightened volatility and diminished market functioning, banks also became more concerned about the possible risk exposures of their counterparties and other potential contingent liabilities.
These concerns prompted banks to become protective of their liquidity and balance sheet capacity and thus to become markedly less willing to provide funding to others, including other banks. As a result, both overnight and term interbank funding markets came under considerable pressure. Interbank lending rates rose notably, and the liquidity in these markets diminished. A number of the U.S. ABCP programs that had difficulty rolling over paper were sponsored by or had backup funding arrangements with European banks. As a result, some of these banks faced potentially large needs for dollar funding, and their efforts to manage their liquidity likely contributed to the pressures in global money and foreign exchange swap markets.
The U.S. subprime mortgage market is small relative to the enormous scale of global financial markets. So why was the impact of subprime developments on the markets apparently so large? To some extent, the outsized effects of the subprime mortgage problems on financial markets may have reflected broader concerns that problems in the U.S. housing market might restrain overall economic growth. But the developments in subprime were perhaps more a trigger than a fundamental cause of the financial turmoil. The episode led investors to become more uncertain about valuations of a range of complex or opaque structured credit products, not just those backed by subprime mortgages. They also reacted to market developments by increasing their assessment of the risks associated with a number of assets and, to some degree, by reducing their willingness to take on risk more generally. To be sure, these developments may well lead to a healthier financial system in the medium to long term: Increased investor scrutiny of structured credit products is likely to lead to greater transparency in these products and more rigor in the credit-rating process. And greater caution on the part of investors seems appropriate given the very narrow spreads and the loosening in some underwriting standards seen before the recent episode began. In the shorter term, however, these developments do imply a greater measure of financial restraint on economic growth as credit becomes more expensive and difficult to obtain.
The Federal Reserve's Response to the Financial Turmoil
Fortunately, the financial system entered the episode of the past few months with strong capital positions and a robust infrastructure. The banking system is healthy. Despite a few notable failures, hedge funds overall seem to have held up well, and their counterparties have not sustained material losses. The clearing and settlement infrastructure generally worked well despite trading volumes that were extremely high in some cases. Nevertheless, the market strains were serious, as I have discussed, and they posed risks to the broader economy. The Federal Reserve accordingly took a number of steps to help markets return to more orderly functioning.
The Federal Reserve's initial action was to increase liquidity in short-term money markets through larger open market operations--the standard means by which it seeks to ensure that the federal funds rate stays at or near the target rate set by the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC). A number of other central banks took similar steps. One source of pressure in the overnight market was the demand for dollar funding by European banks to which I alluded earlier. As Europe is in the latter part of its trading day when U.S. markets open, this extra demand for dollars at times led the federal funds rate to open well above the target. The extra provision of liquidity by the Fed helped counter the resulting pressure on the funds rate early in the day; it also eased banks' concerns about the availability of funding and thus assisted the functioning of the interbank market. To be clear, an open market operation can provide market participants with increased liquidity; but the intervention does not directly increase participants' capital or allow them to shed risk. In essence, these operations are short-term loans collateralized by government securities.
The vigorous provision of funds through open market operations succeeded in damping pressures in overnight funding markets. Yet markets for term funding, including commercial paper markets as well as the interbank markets, remained strained, and signs of broader financial stress persisted. On August 17, the Fed took further action when the Federal Reserve Board cut the discount rate--the rate at which it lends directly to banks--by 50 basis points, or 1/2 percentage point. The Fed also adjusted its usual practices to facilitate the provision of financing for as long as thirty days, renewable at the request of the borrower.
Loans through the discount window differ from open market operations in that they can be made directly to specific banks with strong demands for liquidity. (In contrast, open market operations are arranged with a limited set of dealers of government securities.) In addition, whereas open market operations typically involve lending against government securities, loans through the discount window can be made against a much wider range of collateral, including mortgages and mortgage-backed securities. As with open market operations, however, Fed lending through the discount window provides banks with liquidity, not risk capital. In particular, the strong collateralization accompanying discount window credit eliminates essentially all risk for the Federal Reserve System and the taxpayer. Nonetheless, the availability of the discount window is potentially significant for banks, as it gives them greater confidence that they can obtain additional liquidity as necessary. Access to a backstop source of liquidity in turn reduces the incentives of banks to limit the credit they provide to their customers and counterparties. The Federal Reserve also took some other steps in response to strains in financial markets, including reducing the fee that it charges for lending Treasury securities from its portfolio, thus helping to meet the heavy demands in the market for those securities.
The Federal Reserve's actions to ease the liquidity strains in financial markets were similar to actions that central banks have taken many times in the past. Promoting financial stability and the orderly functioning of financial markets is a key function of central banks. Indeed, a principal motivation for the founding of the Federal Reserve nearly a century ago was the expectation that it would reduce the incidence of financial crises by providing liquidity as needed.
In its supervisory role, the Federal Reserve--like other bank regulators--attempts to ensure that individual banks maintain adequate liquidity on hand and make provision to raise additional funds quickly when the need arises. We must be wary of a subtle fallacy of composition, however. Even if each market participant holds a significant reserve of what--in normal times, at least--would be considered highly liquid assets, for the system as a whole the only truly liquid assets are cash and its equivalents. The quantity of cash assets in the system at a point in time is, in turn, essentially fixed, being determined directly or indirectly by the central bank. Thus, whenever an investor sells less liquid assets to raise cash, the cash holdings of other market participants are reduced by an equal amount. Consequently, in highly stressed financial conditions, when the marketwide demand for liquidity rises sharply, one of two things must happen: Either the central bank provides the liquidity demanded by lending against good collateral, or forced sales of illiquid assets will drive the prices of those assets well below their longer-term fundamental values, raising the risk of widespread insolvency and intensifying the crisis. If the crisis becomes sufficiently severe, history suggests that damage to the broader economy is likely to follow.
In his classic 1873 treatise, Lombard Street, Walter Bagehot famously articulated the need for central banks to be prepared to lend freely against good collateral (what he called "good banking security") but at a penalty rate.3 A panic, said Bagehot, is a "species of neuralgia" and as such must not be starved (p. 25). Of course, judgment is required to assess whether a particular set of market conditions is severe enough to warrant extraordinary injections of liquidity by the central bank; a too-aggressive intervention could unduly reduce the incentives of market participants to insure against more-normal liquidity risks. In the steps it took, the Federal Reserve strove to reach a middle ground, signaling its willingness and ability to provide liquidity to markets as needed without significantly distorting the incentives of individual banks and other market participants to manage their liquidity prudently.
The Federal Reserve's efforts to provide liquidity appear to have been helpful on the whole. To be sure, the volume of loans to banks made through the discount window, though it increased for a time, has been modest. However, collateral placed by banks at the discount window in anticipation of possible borrowing rose sharply during August and September, suggesting that some banks viewed the discount window as a potentially valuable option. On the other hand, no amount of liquidity provision by the central bank can be expected to solve the problems regarding the valuation of complex securitized assets or to reverse the credit losses on subprime mortgages. These underlying difficulties will be resolved only over time by financial markets.
Since mid-August the functioning of financial markets has improved to some degree, supported not only by liquidity provision but also by the monetary policy action taken in September, to which I will return in a moment. Interest rate spreads on ABCP have fallen by more than half from their recent peaks, and overall commercial paper outstanding has edged up this month after declining sharply over August and September. Interbank term funding markets have improved modestly, though spreads there remain unusually wide. Some progress has been made in bringing pending LBO-related loans to market, albeit at discounts and with tightened terms. Risk spreads in corporate bond markets have narrowed somewhat, the issuance of speculative-grade bonds has restarted, and investment-grade issuance has been strong. Volatility in many asset markets has declined toward more-normal levels. Perhaps most important, in many markets investors are showing an increased capacity and willingness to differentiate among assets of varying quality.
In contrast, despite a few encouraging signs, conditions in mortgage markets remain difficult. The markets for securitized nonprime (that is, subprime and so-called alt-A) loans are showing little activity, securitizations of prime jumbo mortgages reportedly have increased only slightly from low levels, and the spread between the interest rates on nonconforming and conforming mortgages remains elevated. These continued problems suggest that investors will need more time to gather information and reevaluate risks before they are willing to reenter these markets.
Monetary Policy and the Economic Outlook
The Federal Reserve's efforts to support the normal functioning of financial markets have as their ultimate objective the stability and efficiency of the broader economy. In addition, of course, the Federal Reserve can adjust the stance of monetary policy by changing its target for the federal funds rate. The FOMC manages monetary policy to further its dual mandate to promote maximum sustainable employment and price stability.
The turmoil in financial markets significantly affected the Committee's outlook for the broader economy. Indeed, in a statement issued simultaneously with the Federal Reserve Board's August 17 announcement of the cut in the discount rate, the FOMC noted that the downside risks to growth had increased appreciably. However, to allow time to gather and evaluate incoming information, possible policy action was deferred until the Committee's next regularly scheduled meeting on September 18.
A key issue at that meeting was the extent to which the market disturbances had affected the outlook for the housing sector. Financial markets overall had improved somewhat, but tighter terms and standards in the mortgage market--particularly in the nonprime and jumbo segments--appeared likely to intensify the correction in housing significantly, with adverse implications for construction activity and house prices. Indeed, incoming housing data had continued to soften even before the advent of the stress in financial markets. A further sharp contraction in residential construction seemed likely to hold down overall economic growth in the fourth quarter and in early 2008.
As they had at earlier meetings, the participants in the September meeting evaluated the potential effects of housing-market developments on other parts of the economy. They agreed that significant spillovers to household and business spending were not yet evident. For example, auto sales had picked up in August from the low levels of earlier in the summer; and business investment did not appear to have been seriously affected by financial market developments, as highly rated firms continued to enjoy good access to credit. Strong growth abroad was also viewed as supporting U.S. exports and domestic production. And as I have noted, the available evidence suggested that overall economic growth in the third quarter remained moderate.
However, downside risks to both household and business spending had clearly increased over the period since the Committee's previous meeting. Notably, the weak housing market, somewhat downbeat consumer sentiment, and slower growth in private-sector employment increased the likelihood that consumption spending would slow in coming quarters. Participants at the September meeting also reported somewhat greater caution in the outlooks of their business contacts. Financial market conditions were expected to improve slowly at best; and even if conditions began to normalize, credit would likely remain noticeably tighter for many borrowers than had been the case during the summer. Furthermore, any weakening in the economy could itself have a negative effect on still-fragile credit markets, possibly leading credit conditions to tighten further.
Regarding the other half of its mandate, to promote price stability, the Committee noted some improvement over the past year in measures of the trend component of inflation, such as core inflation. Moreover, slower growth in aggregate demand would help to ease pressure on resources. But inflation risks remained, including still-high levels of resource utilization and elevated prices for oil and other commodities. The Committee agreed that continued close attention to inflation developments was warranted. Overall, given the great difficulty of knowing how financial conditions would evolve or the extent of their effect on the economy, Committee members judged the level of uncertainty in the outlook to be unusually high.
As you know, the Committee chose to cut its target for the federal funds rate by 50 basis points at the September meeting. This action was intended to help offset the tightening of credit conditions resulting from the financial turmoil. Risk-management considerations also played a role in the decision, given the possibility that the housing correction and tighter credit could presage a broader weakening in economic conditions that would be difficult to arrest. By doing more sooner, policy might be able to forestall some part of the potential adverse effects of the disruptions in financial markets. As most of the meeting participants saw growth likely to run below trend for a while and with the incoming inflation data on the favorable side, the risks to inflation from this action seemed acceptable, especially as the Committee was prepared to reverse the policy easing if inflation pressures proved stronger than expected.
Since the September meeting, the incoming data have borne out the Committee's expectations of further weakening in the housing market, as sales have fallen further and new residential construction has continued to decline rapidly. The further contraction in housing is likely to be a significant drag on growth in the current quarter and through early next year. However, it remains too early to assess the extent to which household and business spending will be affected by the weakness in housing and the tightening in credit conditions. We will be following indicators of household and business spending closely as we update our outlook for near-term growth. The evolution of employment and labor income also will bear watching, as gains in real income support consumer spending even if the weakness in house prices adversely affects homeowners' equity. The labor market has shown some signs of cooling, but these are quite tentative so far, and real income is still growing at a solid pace.
On the inflation side, prices of crude oil and other commodities have increased somewhat in recent weeks, and the foreign exchange value of the dollar has weakened. However, overall, the limited data that we have received since the September FOMC meeting are consistent with continued moderate increases in consumer prices. As the Committee noted in its post-meeting statement, we will continue to monitor inflation developments carefully.
It does seem that, together with our earlier actions to enhance liquidity, the September policy action has served to reduce some of the pressure in financial markets, although considerable strains remain. From the perspective of the near-term economic outlook, the improved functioning of financial markets is a positive development in that it increases the likelihood of achieving moderate growth with price stability. However, in such situations, one must also take seriously the possibility that policy actions that have the effect of reducing stress in financial markets may also promote excessive risk-taking and thus increase the probability of future crises. As I indicated in earlier remarks, it is not the responsibility of the Federal Reserve--nor would it be appropriate--to protect lenders and investors from the consequences of their financial decisions. But developments in financial markets can have broad economic effects felt by many outside the markets, and the Federal Reserve must take those effects into account when determining policy. In particular, as I have emphasized, the Federal Reserve has a mandate from the Congress to promote maximum employment and stable prices, and its monetary policy actions will be chosen so as to best meet that mandate.
Indeed, although the Federal Reserve can seek to provide a more stable economic background that will benefit both investors and non-investors, the truth is that it can hardly insulate investors from risk, even if it wished to do so. Developments over the past few months reinforce this point. Those who made bad investment decisions lost money. In particular, investors in subprime mortgages have sustained significant losses, and many of the mortgage companies that made those loans have failed. Moreover, market participants are learning and adjusting--for example, by insisting on better mortgage underwriting and by performing better due diligence on structured credit products. Rather than becoming more crisis-prone, the financial system is likely to emerge from this episode healthier and more stable than before.
I have sought this evening to put recent financial market developments in context and to explain the thinking behind the steps taken by the Federal Reserve. This has been a challenging period. Conditions in financial markets have shown some improvement since the worst of the storm in mid-August, but a full recovery of market functioning is likely to take time, and we may well see some setbacks. In particular, investors are continuing to reassess the risks they face and have not yet fully regained confidence in their ability to accurately price certain types of securities. The ultimate implications of financial developments for the cost and availability of credit, and thus for the broader economy, remain uncertain.
In coming months, the Federal Reserve, together with other agencies both here and abroad, will perform comprehensive reviews of recent events to better understand the episode and to draw lessons for the future. For now, the Federal Reserve will continue to watch the situation closely and will act as needed to support efficient market functioning and to foster sustainable economic growth and price stability.
1. Estimates of delinquencies are based on data from First American LoanPerformance. Return to text
2. Jumbo mortgages are those mortgages for which the principal value does not conform to the limit set annually by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac for loans they will purchase; the amount for 2007 is $417,000. Jumbo loans are thus a type of "nonconforming" loan. Prime loans are those made to borrowers with good credit records. Return to text
3. Walter Bagehot (1962 reprint), Lombard Street (Westport, Conn.: Hyperion Press). Return to text


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The Love Field Airport Police Unit is responsible for security and traffic control at Love Field Airport. The Love Field Unit maintains a state of readiness to respond to the needs of passengers as they travel through Love Field Airport (DAL). Traffic enforcement, call response, and explosive detection are just a few of the responsibilities assigned to this Unit. Officers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The Love Field Unit works in cooperation with a number of local, state and federal agencies, including the City of Dallas Department of Aviation, Dallas Fire-Rescue, Transportation Security Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, United States Secret Service, U.S. Customs Service, State Department, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
The Love Field Unit's mission is to provide and portray a safe environment for travelers, patrons, and employees at Dallas Love Field Airport through honesty, fairness, professionalism and respect for human life and personal dignity.
The Dallas Police Love Field Unit's Explosive Detection Canine Squad consists of teams of officers and canines trained to detect explosives. The squad was established in 2002. The teams receive training during an intensive twelve-week program at Lackland Airforce Base in San Antonio, Texas that focuses on bonding, socialization and detection. The canines are used for explosive detection for vehicles, cargo, buildings, aircraft and baggage. They are not used for apprehension or attack work. There are several breeds utilized in the Squad including: German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and Veesladors.


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Open Now Closed Today Closed Now (EST)
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As part of yesterday's announcement about Windows Home Server (WHS) Power Pack 2 (PP2, codenamed "Snoqualmie" -- see my overview), Microsoft also revealed that WHS is now available on MSDN so that developers can get their hands on the code and start making Add-ins. In concert with this information, Microsoft is now promoting its WHS Add-ins. First, the info from the WHS blog:
A key benefit of Windows Home Server is the versatility and power it offers as a development platform. Even when Windows Home Server software was still in the beta stage, we published a software development kit (SDK) so that 3 party developers could develop interesting add-ins for the product.
There are currently 100+ add-ins developed for Windows Home Server (up from 70+ in January of this year). We have a dedicated Windows Home Server Add-ins page on the Microsoft web site.
That Add-ins page is something that all WHS users should at least check out, though I'd point out that anyone with a first-gen HP machine (and/or a box with just 512 MB of RAM) is going to run into immediate performance issues if they load up the box with too many Add-ins. It's interesting to me that, of the top downloads list, AV and disk defragmentation are well represented. But there are what look like some gems in there, such as a Recorded TV Manager for Media Center users.
Update: Be sure to check out We Got Served's Windows Home Server Add-ins page as well.


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Mandriva 2010 Alpha Brings Plymouth, New Features: The first alpha release of Mandriva Linux 2010 was released on Sunday. This development update brings a number of core improvements to Mandriva such as a faster boot time, Plymouth integration for enhancing the boot process, Tomoyo for providing the security framework, Moblin packaging, and various other improvements. In this article we are taking a brief look at Mandriva Linux 2010 Alpha 1.
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